Ask John: Where is the Original Dangaioh?

Question:
Was the original Dangaioh ever released in America? I’ve heard news that Great Dangaioh is being released; however I can’t find the original movie anywhere.

Answer:
US Renditions, a sub-division of Books Nippan, virtually pioneered the American anime home video market by releasing the original 3 episode Haja Taisei Dangaioh OAV series in America on three uncut, subtitled VHS tapes between 1990 and 1992. These tapes were uncut and unedited, but remain famous for their “suspect” translations including the infamous translation of “psychic sword” as “side kick sword.” When US Renditions went out of business, Manga Entertainment picked up the Dangaioh license and re-released the series in a heavily edited, even more poorly translated dubbed only “movie” edition that removed 20 minutes of footage from the first episode and removed the openings and endings from the second and third episodes and virtually re-wrote sections of the original Japanese dialogue instead of translating the original script. Both the uncut subtitled only VHS release and the bastardized dubbed only release are now out of print in America, but both should still be available through after-market sources like anime conventions and Ebay.

The Haja Kyosei G Dangaioh TV series from 2001 is not a sequel to the 1987-89 OAV series, but rather a revival that retains the concept of two young women and one teen boy piloting a massive robot, but otherwise has almost no relation to the original Dangaioh at all save the name.